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Teddy Metzen did not always score when he got the ball inside Saturday, but that did not deter his Newark teammates from throwing it to him.

Metzen's early-season development has been one of Newark's bright spots so far. The Wildcats (3-4, 2-1) open 2013 on Friday with a visit from defending state champion Pickerington Central (4-2, 3-1) in a Ohio Capital Conference-Ohio Division game.

A year ago, Metzen played behind another rapidly developing big man - Ben Barnhart. With Barnhart now graduated, Metzen has answered the call for a team that desperately needed an inside presence. ...